Top Morocco Experiences
Trek the mountains of the High Atlas.
For spectacular vistas and fresh air, the High Atlas is a perfect getaway from the hustle and bustle of urban Morocco. North Africa’s tallest peak, Djebel Toubkal, rises to nearly 14,000 feet and is only a two-day climb, best done in late summer. Amateur hikers, with guides, follow less strenuous but equally rewarding routes through rural Berber villages and rocky paths. Head to the Ourika Valley for a variety of outdoor adventure—it’s a justifiably popular region to hang glide, ski, or ride mules to hidden waterfalls and tranquil hilltop gardens. The popularity of such outdoor pursuits has really escalated in Morocco in recent years, with world-class operators such as Epic Running offering memorable training camps and excursions.
Support local women by buying direct.
Support female independence with a visit to a fair-trade training center such as the Flying Camel Women's Workshop in the Khouribga–Oued Zem region. Here you can tour the production workshop, see women learning vital new skills, and contribute to their artisan cooperative by buying handmade gifts from their small boutique.
Drink in the diversity.
Sit in a café and watch. Make of note of the staggering number of competing modes of transport: trams, taxis, cars (both battered old jalopies and luxury ATVs), bicycles, scooters, buses, donkeys, carriages, trains, even quad bikes. If you are lucky enough to be sipping coffee at dusk in Djemâa el Fna in Marrakesh, witness the hubbub as the square floods with street vendors, fortune-tellers, henna artists, snake charmers, tourists, locals taking an evening stroll, and food sellers fanning their barbecue coals. Listen to the jingle-jangle of the musicians and watch the transvestite dancers as they swirl to the beat. Take the time to negotiate for a fake Rolex from one of the passing hawkers or have your shoes shined as you sit sipping your snail soup.
Visit the dye pits of Fez.
Snatch up a generous sprig of mint and courage and make your way to the centuries-old dye pits of the ancient city of Fez. Amid the stench and color you are able to see hides curing in the sun and marvel at the rainbow of hues occupying the vats beneath the terraced rows. This is the place to find beautiful leather wares, from slippers and belts to poufs.
Appreciate Koranic scholarship in a historic medersa.
A quiet spot in front of the central marble ablutions pool is the perfect place to view several masterpieces of Islamic architecture. Look for intricate zellij tile work along arched corridors, ornate wood carvings in domed ceilings, sculpted stone friezes bearing symbolic Arabic calligraphy, and beautifully detailed stained-glass windows in prayer halls and reflection rooms in these culturally rich buildings.
Eat like a local.
Take a break from the predictability of restaurant food and eat on the hoof. Getting hungry in one of the country’s major cities? Why not visit the food market, grab some meat or fish, and seek out one of the many local cafés competing to cook it for you? After a few minutes, and fewer dirhams, you have a feast consisting of your now-cooked foods, plus salads, bread, and tongue-tingling soda. Move a step closer to living like a local and invest in a tanjia clay pot. Take this to the food market, present it to the butcher, and he’ll wordlessly fill it with meat, followed by a handful of spices and vegetables. All you have to do is locate the nearest wood-fired public bath and hand the pot to the furnace stoker, where he’ll place it in the embers used to heat the water. Return for a few hours later to find your fragrant meal bubbling, succulent, and ready to melt in your mouth. Want delicious authentic meat dishes but don’t want to buy your own ingredients? Head for the nearest gas station, where chances are you’ll find a butcher’s shop on its forecourt, and beside it an unassuming café that makes the best meat skewers, cutlets, and stews for miles around.
Cast a spell.
Tired of the usual souvenirs? Why not have a spell or potion made up for yourself or someone back home? Follow your nose and sniff out the apothecaries’ bazaar, laden with mounds of herbs, dried petals, crystals, sun-bleached driftwood, and fragrant pastes. Enlist the help of translator and request a specific concoction, such as a poultice to ward off the evil eye, a remedy for the blues, or even a spell to win your heart’s desire.
Listen and learn at a local festival.
One of the best ways to experience the rich heritage is to participate in a local event. Head to Kelaâ M'Gouna in the Dadès Valley in May; it’s home to the country’s largest rosewater distillery plant. Each spring, the small oasis village celebrates the flower harvest. In early June, enjoy the chants, lyricism, and intellectual fervor of international musicians, Sufi scholars, and social activists at the World Sacred Music Festival in Fez. In late June, the traditions of Gnaoua music, a blend of African and Berber song and dance, are celebrated in the seaside resort village of Essaouira. Experience the Imilchil Berber marriage feast in autumn. In December, the Marrakech International Film Festival is the hottest spot for international celebrity sightings. The all-important Eid al-Fitr (Feast of the Fast Breaking) showcases Moroccan tradition with three days of joyous celebration at the end of Ramadan.
Pamper yourself in a hammam.
Getting scrubbed and steamed at a local hammam does wonders for the weary. Whether you choose a communal public bath or private room in an upscale riad, this traditional therapy of brisk exfoliation and bathing using natural cleansers has promoted physical and mental hygiene and restoration for centuries. Public hammams are clean and inexpensive. Le Royal Mansour and the Astana Spa in Marrakesh are exceptionally luxurious spots to experience this special cultural ritual. If you do opt for the public baths, rather than the private luxury option, be advised that scrubbing can prove abrasive and often rather intimate.
Relax in a riad.
Spend a night in mosaic splendor in your choice of countless riads. Forgo a hotel room and head for a room with authentic charm in one of these hidden gems, most often found in a city’s medina. There isn’t necessarily air-conditioning, the pool might only be the size of a bathtub, and breakfast most likely is served on the roof, but you’ll experience the magic of bygone Morocco, complete with fretwork screens, sumptuous upholsteries, and cool tiled floors.
Soothe the eyes in the blue-washed town of Chefchaouen.
Founded in the 15th century by Spanish exiles, the village of Chefchaouen, in the foothills of the Rif Mountains, is widely considered to be one of Morocco’s most picturesque places. Relax beneath verdant shade trees on the cobblestoned Plaza Uta el-Hamman. Ride a camel to the dunes of the Sahara. Wander the steep Andalusian passageways, where buildings bathed in cobalt and indigo hues blend with terra-cotta-tiled roofs, pink-scarved women, violet blossoms, and ocher-and-poppy-red wool carpets to create a vibrant canvas of color. Ride a camel to the dunes of the Sahara. For an unforgettable adventure, mount a dromedary camel to explore the undulating orange dunes and abandoned kasbahs of the desert, a magical region immortalized in film and fiction. Select an overnight tour to stay in a Bedouin tent in the Erg Chebbi or Erg Chigaga desert wilderness.
